Jefferson-Houston School

[Anonymous]

Seems clear to me City leaders have a plan for Jefferson-Houston that they have not shared with the public. Why else are they building a $45M mega-school on the site of a 400-student failing school? There must be some major redistricting on the way. Watch out parents of nearby schools. They will not let 400 seats go empty at J-H.

http://alextimes.com/2013/12/lets-be-honest-about-the-situation-at-jefferson-houston/

[Anonymous]

Meh, this isn't some "not shared with the public" plan. It's been pretty well known that they will have to do something to fill the seats in the school. Unforunately, the poverty rate is climbing in the City so the schools don't stand too much chance of improving unless the City Council gets on board and ends "affordable housing" programs.

[Anonymous]

Alexandria City Council did warn the Alexandria School Board that the new JH building warranted filling soon, given over capacity at other Alexandria elementary schools.

At the joint December 5, 2013, CC and SB meeting, CC even brought up the issue of redistricting to ensure the new JH capacity at 800.

At the December 12, 2013, Alexandria SB meeting, discussion meandered about, putting off the start of addressing redistricting no sooner than fall, 2014 (after the new JH opens).

The Alexandria CC, SB, City manager is confused. You build a new $45 million dollar elementary school AFTER you have addressed its usage/capacity, not before.

[Anonymous]

I don't think there's much of a plan at this point. If it weren't for the threat of State takeover, I don't think this would even have been addressed until after the new school building opened (half empty.)

I guess there was a plan when the previous School Board and Superintendent pushed for the new building. The plan was to build a new school building on some of the best and most underutilized land in the City. The rest could be figured out later.

[Anonymous]

I heard that they are adding a middle school to Jeff Houston is that true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard that they are adding a middle school to Jeff Houston is that true?

It has one right now. I think there are @75 students in 6th - 8th.

[Anonymous]

Rather than trying any new approaches to education, the strategy is clearly to change the percentage of low income students, which will lift the school out of failed status. It would never work by bussing just 25 kids over. Parents would pitch fits and there would not be enough new kids to lift the scores.

But when you bring in a couple hundred more students it is much easier to justify and easier to steamroll parents. Not a bad idea seeing how the City deliberately drew the districts to shunt all the lowest income students to JH in the first place so the City would have just one failed school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rather than trying any new approaches to education, the strategy is clearly to change the percentage of low income students, which will lift the school out of failed status. It would never work by bussing just 25 kids over. Parents would pitch fits and there would not be enough new kids to lift the scores.

But when you bring in a couple hundred more students it is much easier to justify and easier to steamroll parents. Not a bad idea seeing how the City deliberately drew the districts to shunt all the lowest income students to JH in the first place so the City would have just one failed school.

The City's student population is mostly poor (59% FARMs/poverty rate in ACPS as a whole.) Jefferson-Houston does not have all of the poor kids in Alexandria. Alexandria is about 70% white and $85K median household income. But only 13% of households have school age children, and if you subtract private school kids, you are basically left with poor minority kids. I think you look around and see lots of wealthy whites and assume the schools should look the same, but that's not how it works out.

Here is the FARMs (poverty) rate in ACPS elementary schools (Jefferson-Houston is not the highest):

William Ramsay 85%
Cora Kelly 82%
Patrick Henry 81%
Jefferson-Houston 81%
John Adams 66%
Polk 64%
Samuel Tucker 62%
Mount Vernon 58%
Maury 35%
George Mason 32%
Charles Barrett 31%
Douglas MacArthur 30%
Lyles-Crouch 24%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rather than trying any new approaches to education, the strategy is clearly to change the percentage of low income students, which will lift the school out of failed status. It would never work by bussing just 25 kids over. Parents would pitch fits and there would not be enough new kids to lift the scores.

But when you bring in a couple hundred more students it is much easier to justify and easier to steamroll parents. Not a bad idea seeing how the City deliberately drew the districts to shunt all the lowest income students to JH in the first place so the City would have just one failed school.

The City's student population is mostly poor (59% FARMs/poverty rate in ACPS as a whole.) Jefferson-Houston does not have all of the poor kids in Alexandria. Alexandria is about 70% white and $85K median household income. But only 13% of households have school age children, and if you subtract private school kids, you are basically left with poor minority kids. I think you look around and see lots of wealthy whites and assume the schools should look the same, but that's not how it works out.

Here is the FARMs (poverty) rate in ACPS elementary schools (Jefferson-Houston is not the highest):

William Ramsay 85%
Cora Kelly 82%
Patrick Henry 81%
Jefferson-Houston 81%
John Adams 66%
Polk 64%
Samuel Tucker 62%
Mount Vernon 58%
Maury 35%
George Mason 32%
Charles Barrett 31%
Douglas MacArthur 30%
Lyles-Crouch 24%

Those are very sad stats especially given the wealth of that area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rather than trying any new approaches to education, the strategy is clearly to change the percentage of low income students, which will lift the school out of failed status. It would never work by bussing just 25 kids over. Parents would pitch fits and there would not be enough new kids to lift the scores.

But when you bring in a couple hundred more students it is much easier to justify and easier to steamroll parents. Not a bad idea seeing how the City deliberately drew the districts to shunt all the lowest income students to JH in the first place so the City would have just one failed school.

The City's student population is mostly poor (59% FARMs/poverty rate in ACPS as a whole.) Jefferson-Houston does not have all of the poor kids in Alexandria. Alexandria is about 70% white and $85K median household income. But only 13% of households have school age children, and if you subtract private school kids, you are basically left with poor minority kids. I think you look around and see lots of wealthy whites and assume the schools should look the same, but that's not how it works out.

Here is the FARMs (poverty) rate in ACPS elementary schools (Jefferson-Houston is not the highest):

William Ramsay 85%
Cora Kelly 82%
Patrick Henry 81%
Jefferson-Houston 81%
John Adams 66%
Polk 64%
Samuel Tucker 62%
Mount Vernon 58%
Maury 35%
George Mason 32%
Charles Barrett 31%
Douglas MacArthur 30%
Lyles-Crouch 24%

These stats are skewed in many ways. One example is the number of students with disabilities. Jefferson-Houston has 56 SWDs out of 292. That is a ridiculously high percentage. Compare that to Ramsay with 52 SWDs out of 833. Clearly, there is more going on with how the City zones its schools than just family income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rather than trying any new approaches to education, the strategy is clearly to change the percentage of low income students, which will lift the school out of failed status. It would never work by bussing just 25 kids over. Parents would pitch fits and there would not be enough new kids to lift the scores.

But when you bring in a couple hundred more students it is much easier to justify and easier to steamroll parents. Not a bad idea seeing how the City deliberately drew the districts to shunt all the lowest income students to JH in the first place so the City would have just one failed school.

The City's student population is mostly poor (59% FARMs/poverty rate in ACPS as a whole.) Jefferson-Houston does not have all of the poor kids in Alexandria. Alexandria is about 70% white and $85K median household income. But only 13% of households have school age children, and if you subtract private school kids, you are basically left with poor minority kids. I think you look around and see lots of wealthy whites and assume the schools should look the same, but that's not how it works out.

Here is the FARMs (poverty) rate in ACPS elementary schools (Jefferson-Houston is not the highest):

William Ramsay 85%
Cora Kelly 82%
Patrick Henry 81%
Jefferson-Houston 81%
John Adams 66%
Polk 64%
Samuel Tucker 62%
Mount Vernon 58%
Maury 35%
George Mason 32%
Charles Barrett 31%
Douglas MacArthur 30%
Lyles-Crouch 24%

These stats are skewed in many ways. One example is the number of students with disabilities. Jefferson-Houston has 56 SWDs out of 292. That is a ridiculously high percentage. Compare that to Ramsay with 52 SWDs out of 833. Clearly, there is more going on with how the City zones its schools than just family income.

Because Jefferson-Houston hosts a division-wide program for students with multiple disabilities. It has nothing to do with school zones.

[Anonymous]

So today the Alexandria Housing Authority announced they'll release an RFP to redevelop 7 public housing sites:
http://oldtownalexandria.patch.com/groups/real-estate/p/arha-seeks-partners-to-redevelop-seven-lowincome-housing-sites

Maybe that's their grand plan...

[Anonymous]

new building. new principal.

http://www.acps.k12.va.us/news2015/nr2014082502.php

[Anonymous]

Regent university?? That crazy right wing religious school produced the principal working with a diverse, needy student population? This sounds...

[Anonymous]

he probably won't be suspending kids for saying "bless you"